Thanksgiving with two vegan guests; please help me plan!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Trader Joe’s sells a vegan French onion dip. I would try and do as much as you can vegan except the turkey. You can make the same potatoes for everyone using a plant based milk and butter.

Why should everyone else suffer?

why is it suffering?

Because no one wants watered-down versions of their favorite foods on a holiday. Seriously, once or twice a year, we should get to indulge in traditional fare with no compromises and no guilt. Just like I don’t want a “diet version” of Thanksgiving, and I don’t want an “alternative meal” for people who don’t like the turkey dinner, I don’t want vegan versions served to everyone. I can’t pronounce the ingredients in vegan “cheese” and vegan “butter,” so no thank you. If you want to eat that stuff, fine. If you want to serve it to your guests, fine. But I’m not eating it and I’m not serving it to the majority of my guests. There are plenty of foods like roast vegetables that are naturally vegan and delicious, and that’s great. But when you start getting into fake processed foods, no thanks.

I think OP’s plan and a few of the suggestions here sound really nice. There’s no need for a host to make extra work for themselves or serve weird food to all the guests just because some of the guests choose to be difficult.

+1

NP who also agrees with this. I would make a few accommodations for the vegan guests, since they deserve to have something to eat too, but I would not veganize the overall menu for everybody else. As a guest (or a host) who is not vegan, I have no interest in eating veganized versions of indulgent holiday foods - especially things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc.

Exactly no one is asking or expecting this (in this thread). We know absolutely nothing about this family other than they are getting together at thanksgiving and two of the potential guests are traveling from out of state and they are vegan. Oh, also op would like to make them feel welcome without changing too much of feel of menu. Which is hospitable. They’re setting aside portions of certain dishes to make vegan, not serving everyone tofu soufflé.

I’m not a vegan and I really don’t understand the pushback. We all can be rigid, but we can also adapt and be gracious. Op has it under control.

DCUM hates vegans almost as much as it hates dogs. I'm surprised no one has yet suggested pepper spraying the vegan guests to really teach them a lesson.

They hate gf people even more. Which is just evil. Imaging not being able to eat gluten and also being hated for it. Some people make life on earth its own version of hell.

No, I am fine with gluten free because I know some people with celiac disease. Vegans, however, have made a lifestyle choice and, even more unfortunately, that lifestyle choice strongly reflects a mental illness that results in food control. I don't enable that.

Begin vegan is healthy. I already posted that Bill Cinton became vegan after having a major heart attack and has been healthy ever since. I'd love to be vegan. I don't have the self control for it unfortunately. I know many young people who are vegan. It is definitely not a mental illness. You have to be pretty old to have that opinion of what is a fairly mainstream lifestyle choice. Vegan food can be found everywhere.

I mean, Bill Clinton ate like garbage before he became vegan. Literally any diet is better than mainlining McDonalds all day long. But after awhile, the deficiencies of 100% veganism catch up to you. He’s also not 100% vegan anymore, for what it’s worth. If being vegan was so healthy and natural, a lot more people would be vegan. As it stands, veganism is a very modern luxury available only within the context of our modern times of plenty. In the past, people were vegan against their will if they couldn’t hunt or afford meat or dairy. Knock yourself out and be vegan. But don’t try and pretend it’s the ideal or natural way of things.

Who cares? Should we maintain a diet in deference to how people lived in the past, when they couldn't afford meat or dairy? I'm glad we are able to participate in a modern luxury in times of plenty.

[Anonymous]

i would make sure there are some vegan options, but i wouldn't make everything vegan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Trader Joe’s sells a vegan French onion dip. I would try and do as much as you can vegan except the turkey. You can make the same potatoes for everyone using a plant based milk and butter.

Why should everyone else suffer?

why is it suffering?

Because no one wants watered-down versions of their favorite foods on a holiday. Seriously, once or twice a year, we should get to indulge in traditional fare with no compromises and no guilt. Just like I don’t want a “diet version” of Thanksgiving, and I don’t want an “alternative meal” for people who don’t like the turkey dinner, I don’t want vegan versions served to everyone. I can’t pronounce the ingredients in vegan “cheese” and vegan “butter,” so no thank you. If you want to eat that stuff, fine. If you want to serve it to your guests, fine. But I’m not eating it and I’m not serving it to the majority of my guests. There are plenty of foods like roast vegetables that are naturally vegan and delicious, and that’s great. But when you start getting into fake processed foods, no thanks.

I think OP’s plan and a few of the suggestions here sound really nice. There’s no need for a host to make extra work for themselves or serve weird food to all the guests just because some of the guests choose to be difficult.

+1

NP who also agrees with this. I would make a few accommodations for the vegan guests, since they deserve to have something to eat too, but I would not veganize the overall menu for everybody else. As a guest (or a host) who is not vegan, I have no interest in eating veganized versions of indulgent holiday foods - especially things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc.

Exactly no one is asking or expecting this (in this thread). We know absolutely nothing about this family other than they are getting together at thanksgiving and two of the potential guests are traveling from out of state and they are vegan. Oh, also op would like to make them feel welcome without changing too much of feel of menu. Which is hospitable. They’re setting aside portions of certain dishes to make vegan, not serving everyone tofu soufflé.

I’m not a vegan and I really don’t understand the pushback. We all can be rigid, but we can also adapt and be gracious. Op has it under control.

DCUM hates vegans almost as much as it hates dogs. I'm surprised no one has yet suggested pepper spraying the vegan guests to really teach them a lesson.

They hate gf people even more. Which is just evil. Imaging not being able to eat gluten and also being hated for it. Some people make life on earth its own version of hell.

No, I am fine with gluten free because I know some people with celiac disease. Vegans, however, have made a lifestyle choice and, even more unfortunately, that lifestyle choice strongly reflects a mental illness that results in food control. I don't enable that.

Begin vegan is healthy. I already posted that Bill Cinton became vegan after having a major heart attack and has been healthy ever since. I'd love to be vegan. I don't have the self control for it unfortunately. I know many young people who are vegan. It is definitely not a mental illness. You have to be pretty old to have that opinion of what is a fairly mainstream lifestyle choice. Vegan food can be found everywhere.

I mean, Bill Clinton ate like garbage before he became vegan. Literally any diet is better than mainlining McDonalds all day long. But after awhile, the deficiencies of 100% veganism catch up to you. He’s also not 100% vegan anymore, for what it’s worth. If being vegan was so healthy and natural, a lot more people would be vegan. As it stands, veganism is a very modern luxury available only within the context of our modern times of plenty. In the past, people were vegan against their will if they couldn’t hunt or afford meat or dairy. Knock yourself out and be vegan. But don’t try and pretend it’s the ideal or natural way of things.

Exactly. Bill Clinton went from one extreme end of the pendulum to another. And just because he ain’t dead yet doesn’t mean he’s automatically “healthy now.”

I doubt he would be alive today if he hadn't gone on a vegan diet. I don't know how he made the switch actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Trader Joe’s sells a vegan French onion dip. I would try and do as much as you can vegan except the turkey. You can make the same potatoes for everyone using a plant based milk and butter.

Why should everyone else suffer?

why is it suffering?

Because no one wants watered-down versions of their favorite foods on a holiday. Seriously, once or twice a year, we should get to indulge in traditional fare with no compromises and no guilt. Just like I don’t want a “diet version” of Thanksgiving, and I don’t want an “alternative meal” for people who don’t like the turkey dinner, I don’t want vegan versions served to everyone. I can’t pronounce the ingredients in vegan “cheese” and vegan “butter,” so no thank you. If you want to eat that stuff, fine. If you want to serve it to your guests, fine. But I’m not eating it and I’m not serving it to the majority of my guests. There are plenty of foods like roast vegetables that are naturally vegan and delicious, and that’s great. But when you start getting into fake processed foods, no thanks.

I think OP’s plan and a few of the suggestions here sound really nice. There’s no need for a host to make extra work for themselves or serve weird food to all the guests just because some of the guests choose to be difficult.

+1

NP who also agrees with this. I would make a few accommodations for the vegan guests, since they deserve to have something to eat too, but I would not veganize the overall menu for everybody else. As a guest (or a host) who is not vegan, I have no interest in eating veganized versions of indulgent holiday foods - especially things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc.

Exactly no one is asking or expecting this (in this thread). We know absolutely nothing about this family other than they are getting together at thanksgiving and two of the potential guests are traveling from out of state and they are vegan. Oh, also op would like to make them feel welcome without changing too much of feel of menu. Which is hospitable. They’re setting aside portions of certain dishes to make vegan, not serving everyone tofu soufflé.

I’m not a vegan and I really don’t understand the pushback. We all can be rigid, but we can also adapt and be gracious. Op has it under control.

DCUM hates vegans almost as much as it hates dogs. I'm surprised no one has yet suggested pepper spraying the vegan guests to really teach them a lesson.

They hate gf people even more. Which is just evil. Imaging not being able to eat gluten and also being hated for it. Some people make life on earth its own version of hell.

No, I am fine with gluten free because I know some people with celiac disease. Vegans, however, have made a lifestyle choice and, even more unfortunately, that lifestyle choice strongly reflects a mental illness that results in food control. I don't enable that.

Begin vegan is healthy. I already posted that Bill Cinton became vegan after having a major heart attack and has been healthy ever since. I'd love to be vegan. I don't have the self control for it unfortunately. I know many young people who are vegan. It is definitely not a mental illness. You have to be pretty old to have that opinion of what is a fairly mainstream lifestyle choice. Vegan food can be found everywhere.

I mean, Bill Clinton ate like garbage before he became vegan. Literally any diet is better than mainlining McDonalds all day long. But after awhile, the deficiencies of 100% veganism catch up to you. He’s also not 100% vegan anymore, for what it’s worth. If being vegan was so healthy and natural, a lot more people would be vegan. As it stands, veganism is a very modern luxury available only within the context of our modern times of plenty. In the past, people were vegan against their will if they couldn’t hunt or afford meat or dairy. Knock yourself out and be vegan. But don’t try and pretend it’s the ideal or natural way of things.

Who cares? Should we maintain a diet in deference to how people lived in the past, when they couldn't afford meat or dairy? I'm glad we are able to participate in a modern luxury in times of plenty.

Sure. So knock yourself out. But the people who start preaching the pseudo science that veganism is innately natural to being human can sit down and hush. Just as a lion doesn’t debate the ethics of killing and eating a gazelle, I’m not feeling guilty for enjoying a nice medium rare steak, as homo sapiens have been enjoying for millennia. There’s a reason so many vegans fall off the wagon, or have problems with malnutrition. Meat made our brains develop. The cravings are innate and primal. Even iron derived from animal sources is more easily accessed by the human body than plant sources. But by all means, enjoy your nutritional supplements and vitamin B12 injections.

[Anonymous]

This is not helping op.

[Anonymous]

I think the take home message here is that it is a mistake to think of "vegans" as a monolith who have the same needs, preferences, and motivations associated with their dietary choices.

Also that a lot of people are pretty comfortable judging entire groups of food negatively based on their food preferences, and to be fairly ugly about it. Good to know that you guys think that's okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Trader Joe’s sells a vegan French onion dip. I would try and do as much as you can vegan except the turkey. You can make the same potatoes for everyone using a plant based milk and butter.

Why should everyone else suffer?

why is it suffering?

Because no one wants watered-down versions of their favorite foods on a holiday. Seriously, once or twice a year, we should get to indulge in traditional fare with no compromises and no guilt. Just like I don’t want a “diet version” of Thanksgiving, and I don’t want an “alternative meal” for people who don’t like the turkey dinner, I don’t want vegan versions served to everyone. I can’t pronounce the ingredients in vegan “cheese” and vegan “butter,” so no thank you. If you want to eat that stuff, fine. If you want to serve it to your guests, fine. But I’m not eating it and I’m not serving it to the majority of my guests. There are plenty of foods like roast vegetables that are naturally vegan and delicious, and that’s great. But when you start getting into fake processed foods, no thanks.

I think OP’s plan and a few of the suggestions here sound really nice. There’s no need for a host to make extra work for themselves or serve weird food to all the guests just because some of the guests choose to be difficult.

+1

NP who also agrees with this. I would make a few accommodations for the vegan guests, since they deserve to have something to eat too, but I would not veganize the overall menu for everybody else. As a guest (or a host) who is not vegan, I have no interest in eating veganized versions of indulgent holiday foods - especially things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, pie, etc.

Exactly no one is asking or expecting this (in this thread). We know absolutely nothing about this family other than they are getting together at thanksgiving and two of the potential guests are traveling from out of state and they are vegan. Oh, also op would like to make them feel welcome without changing too much of feel of menu. Which is hospitable. They’re setting aside portions of certain dishes to make vegan, not serving everyone tofu soufflé.

I’m not a vegan and I really don’t understand the pushback. We all can be rigid, but we can also adapt and be gracious. Op has it under control.

DCUM hates vegans almost as much as it hates dogs. I'm surprised no one has yet suggested pepper spraying the vegan guests to really teach them a lesson.

They hate gf people even more. Which is just evil. Imaging not being able to eat gluten and also being hated for it. Some people make life on earth its own version of hell.

No, I am fine with gluten free because I know some people with celiac disease. Vegans, however, have made a lifestyle choice and, even more unfortunately, that lifestyle choice strongly reflects a mental illness that results in food control. I don't enable that.

Begin vegan is healthy. I already posted that Bill Cinton became vegan after having a major heart attack and has been healthy ever since. I'd love to be vegan. I don't have the self control for it unfortunately. I know many young people who are vegan. It is definitely not a mental illness. You have to be pretty old to have that opinion of what is a fairly mainstream lifestyle choice. Vegan food can be found everywhere.

I mean, Bill Clinton ate like garbage before he became vegan. Literally any diet is better than mainlining McDonalds all day long. But after awhile, the deficiencies of 100% veganism catch up to you. He’s also not 100% vegan anymore, for what it’s worth. If being vegan was so healthy and natural, a lot more people would be vegan. As it stands, veganism is a very modern luxury available only within the context of our modern times of plenty. In the past, people were vegan against their will if they couldn’t hunt or afford meat or dairy. Knock yourself out and be vegan. But don’t try and pretend it’s the ideal or natural way of things.

Exactly. Bill Clinton went from one extreme end of the pendulum to another. And just because he ain’t dead yet doesn’t mean he’s automatically “healthy now.”

I doubt he would be alive today if he hadn't gone on a vegan diet. I don't know how he made the switch actually.

m

Nope. You operate under the same false premise so many others do-that meat is inherently bad. Cutting out the fast food and processed garbage was basically all he needed to do. He eats fish now periodically, as advised by a doctor, so obviously veganism doesn’t suit his health long term.